Steam explosive-engine.



uni 7:5,008. Patented Dec. 2,- 1902.

- c. A. BRADEN. I

STEAM EXPLOSIVE ENGINL (Application filed Oct. 19, 1898.)

(No Model.)

gil /7172 83218 1N VEN T ()1? UNiTnio STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. BRADEN, OF BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE' BRADEN GASENGINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIR- GINIA.

STEAM EXPVLOSIVE-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,008, dated December2, 1902.

Application filed October 19, 1898. Serial No. 694,035. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. BRADEN, a resident of Butler, in thecounty of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Engines; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in engines, the object of theinvention being to produce an engine which shall be adapted to beoperated by the pressure of gas and steam applied independently of eachother.

A further object is to provide a reversible gas-engine.

A further object is to provide a combined steam and gas engine whichwill be neat in appearance, strong and durable, and most effectual anduseful when in operation.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, aswill be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawing is a view in section illustrating myimprovements.

1 represents a gas-engine, and 2 a steamengine connected therewith anddisposed in the same plane. A partition 3 is disposed between thegas-engine cylinder and steam-engine cylinder and is secured in place bymeans of bolts 4, which pass through openings in a flange a on thegas-engine, thence through the partition 3, and thence through a flangeb on the steam-engine, and said bolts are secured in place by means ofnuts 5, as shown. The partition 3 thus constitutes heads for theabutting ends of the tWo enginecylinders. The gas-engine cylinder is provided in its wall surrounding the explosionchamber 7 with a water-jacketS, which is preferably constantly supplied from any convenient sourcethrough an inlet-pipe c, the water escaping through a larger outlet-pipe(Z, and thus the water constituting the waterjacket is kept in constantcirculation, whereby to maintain the walls of the explosionchamber cool.The inner end of the gas-enas usual.

gine cylinder 1 constitutes a mixing-chamber 9. The chamber 9 is largerthan the explosion-chamber and is connected therewith by a passage 10,which communicates with the explosion-chamber 7 at'a point approximatelyin alinement with an exhaust-port 11 of the explosion-chamber. Asuitable gasinlet tube 12, having a spring-actuated valve 13,communicates with the mixing-chamber 9, and an air-inlet tube 14, havinga springactuated valve 15, also communicates with said mixing-chamber.Anyapproved igniter 6 may be employed and is preferably located at theextreme end of the explosion-chamber, A piston 16 is disposed within theexplosion-chamber and is secured to a pistonrod 17, which extendsthrough the partition or common head 3, where any approved packing18 isprovided. The piston-rod 17 extends into the steam-engine cylinder,wherein it is provided with a piston 19. A pitman 17 is secured to thepiston of the steam-engine and is connected with any approved operatingmechanism. Any approved valve mechansm so may be employed for thesteamengine, as the particular form of steam-engine is immaterial.

A valve-casing 18 is disposed near the end of the explosion-chamber andcommunicates therewith by means of a tube or pipe 20. A pipe 21communicates with said valve-casing in alinement with the pipe 20 forexhausting the gas therefrom. A valve 22 is disposed in said casing 18,and said valve is provided with an opening 23, adapted to aline with thepipes or tubes 20 and 21 to permit the gas to exhaust from theexplosion-chamber. A rod 2a is secured to the valve 22 and extendsthrough one side of the valve-casing 18,where any approved packing 25 isprovided, and is connected, through the medium of a lever 18 with a rod18", and the latter is connected, through the medium of an engine-linkB, with the valve w of the steam-engine. Hence it will be seen that whenthe opening 23 isin alinement with the pipes or tubes 20 and 21 thecombined gas and air can escape from the explosion-chamber and preventany explosion therein, and when the valve is pushed to one side, withthe opening 23 out of alinement with the tubes 20 and 21, the valve willeffectually cut off any escape of gas and air from theexplosion-chamber, and the gas-engine will be free to perform itsfunctions.

The operation of my improved gas-engine is as follows: Air and gas areadmitted to the mixing-chamber 9, and on the forward thrust of thepiston 16 the mixed air and gas is forced through the passage 10 intothe explosion-chamber 7, and before the air and gas have time to escapethrough the exhaust 11 the piston returns, closing both passage 10 andexhaust 11 and compressing the air and gas in the outer end of theexplosionchamber, where it will be ignited, the resulting explosioncausing the piston 16 to be propelled forwardly, the burned gasesfinding an exit through the exhaust-pipe 11. When the piston again movesoutwardly, it will compress another explosive charge and at the sametime serve to draw air and gas into the mixing-chamber for a succeedingcharge. When it is desired to reverse the gas-engine, the engine-link Bis elevated so as to shift valve 05 through the medium of rod :0. Avalve (not shown) located in steam-inlet pipe 1 is opened, and the valve00 having been shifted so as to cover port .2 the steam is admitted tothe steam-cylinder 2 through the port 2 in front of the piston 19 andforces this piston,together with the piston 16,rearwardly. The link B isconnected to rods B B, attached to eccentrics, (not shown,) so that arocking movement will be imparted to the said link in order to move thevalve 00, as in the usual constructionofvalve-gearforsteam-engines. Atits lower end the link 13 is pivotally connected to an auxiliary link 0,provided in its lower portion with a slot 0 to receive a pin or studcarried by one arm of a bell-crank D. This bell-crank is pivotallymounted on the engineframe and has its other arm pivotally connected tothe rod 18. The link B in elevating carries with it the auxiliary link0, and by reason of its being pivotally connected thereto no rockingmovement is imparted to the link 0, and when the pin in the bell-crankarm engages the lower end of the slot 0 the bell-crank is rocked on itspivot, so as to actuate rod 18", and through the medium of the lever 18and rod 24 the valve 22 is shifted so as to aline its opening 23 withthe pipes 20 and 21 in order that the gas and air which was compressedin the explosion-chamber 7 by the rearward stroke of the piston 16 willbe discharged through said pipes 20 and 21. As the valve 00 is returnedto its former position through the medium of link B, rod 00, and rods13, so as to admit steam through port z to return the pistons to theposition shown, the valve (not shown) in steam-inlet pipe y is closed,the link 13 lowered, thereby lowering link 0, and when the pin in thearm of the bell-crank engages the upper end of slot 0 the bell-crank androd 18 are actuated so as to move valve 22 to a position with itsopening 23 out of alinement with the tubes 20 and 21, and the gas-enginewill then be free to again operate and has been effectually reversed.

It will be readily seen that it is very desirable, especially in oilcountries, to have engines which can be readily reversed. Heretoforegas-engines have been used to pump wells, and steam-engines are left inposition to handle tubing, rods, and the like because of their beingcapable of being readily reversed. By my improved engine I am enabled toemploy same not only for pumping, but also for the raising and loweringof the tubing, rods, and the like without any change of engines otherthan the opening of a valve to start the steam-engine for the purpose ofreversing the gas-engine.

Various slight changes might be resorted to in the general form andarrangement of the several parts set forth without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention, and hence I would have it understoodthat I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details set forth, butconsider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterationsas fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a gas-engine cylinder having a piston workingtherein, of a head forming one end of said cylinder with the piston-rodWorking therethrough, and a steam-engine cylinder connected to said headin horizontal alinement with the gas-engine cylinder, the head formingone end of the steam-engine cylinder, and the piston rod being common toboth the gas-engine cylinder and the steam-engine cylinder,substantially as described.

2. The combination with a gas-engine cylinder, of a steam-enginecylinder in horizontal alinement therewith, a partition secured betweenthe mutually-adjacent ends of the cylinders and forming one of the headsof each cylinder, a piston-rod working through the partition withpistons thereon in the respective cylinders, the steam-cylinder securedto the partition, the gas-engine being normally operated independentlyof the steamengine and reversed through the medium of the latter, andmeans for exhausting the explosive mixture from the explosive-chamber ofthe gas-engine when steam is admitted to thesteam-cylinder,substantially as described.

3. The combination with a gas-engine of a steam-engine connected to thelatter in alinement therewith and acting when started to reverse thegas-engine, a partition separating the cylinders of the two engines andforming one head of each cylinder, the gas-engine normally operatingindependently of the steamengine, an explosion-chamber andan'exhaustvalve chamber in the cylinder of the gas-engine, theexhaustvalve chamber being of greater diameter than theexplosion-chamber IIO and in communication through a port therewith, avalve in said exhaust-valve chamber, and means connected to thesteam-engine adapted to operate said valve to exhaust the explosivemixture from the explosion-chamber when steam is admitted to thesteamcylinder, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES A. BRADEN.

Witnesses:

L. O. AUSTIN, CHAS. R. WATTSON.

